Antoine van Dongen

Mr. van Dongen had a distinguished career serving as a first violinist with the world famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from 1989 to 2004, and has worked closely with Leonard Bernstein, Antal Dorati, Carlo Maria Giulini, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Bernard Haitink, Ricardo Chailly and Mariss Jansons.

In 1988-1989 van Dongen was first violinist of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also been a member of the Chamber Orchestra “Per Musica” and the Dutch Bach Soloists. He played regularly with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and worked with Frans Bruggen and served as Concertmaster of the Dutch Baroque Ensemble.

As a founding member of the Feininger Piano Trio and the European Boccherini String Trio, van Dongen participated frequently in Master classes with the Beaux Arts Trio and the Guarneri Trio.

Antoine van Dongen was a Silver Medalist at the National Violin Competition Oskar Back in 1983 and won the “the prize of the City Amsterdam” for the best interpretation of contemporary music. The prize scholarship enabled him to study at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Sandor Vegh. In the same year, van Dongen made his debut in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Van Dongen helps young students with their solo careers, National and International Violin Competitions, and entrance to orchestras. His students have been accepted into the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and other European orchestras.

Antoine van Dongen immigrated to the United States in 2004, and now lives in Newton, MA with his wife Susan and their children. He is a Dutch citizen, fluent in four languages, and holder of a U.S Green Card. Van Dongen is member of ESTA, ASTA, and BMA, and he is a member of the board of the Netherland America Foundation.

Studies at the Sweelinck Conservatory of Music in Amsterdam and violin studies with Davina van Wely and Herman Krebbers ,Concertmaster of The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Van Dongen is currently on the faculty at Wellesley College, New England Conservatory, MIT, the Walnut Hill School for the Arts.